


Autofocus

by snarechan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Family, Fashion Disasters, Food, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pictures, Poison, Selfies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-08-28 15:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8451802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarechan/pseuds/snarechan
Summary: A picture says a thousand words, and Prompto's friends appreciate everything his photographs are telling them.





	1. Get Well

**Author's Note:**

> Well folks, we're in the final stretch for anticipating this video game, so it feels pertinent to finish what I can and post it before the game discounts every headcanon I have, hah hah! This is what I hope to be a trilogy focusing on Prompto's love for photography in regards to using it to support his friends, so there will be one from the POV of Gladiolus (this one), Noctis (2/3s already done), and finally Ignis (poor guy is always saved for last, isn't he?). My _goal_ is to have this posted before November 29th, but we'll see if I succeed or not...
> 
> Chapter edited by me and beta read by demishock. Thanks to them for the read, fixing, and support!

It was somewhere between getting impaled by two separate reapertails and upchucking outside the Regalia that Gladiolus decided there might be an issue. He hadn't _seemed_ sick after the hunt; the stingers were removed and his bleeding was stemmed with healing magic. But Prompto had needed an antidote, too, and there was only the one to spare.

Thirty minutes later and every bump in the road began to agitate his condition, his hands feeling swollen and the rest of him on fire. Without his meaning to, Gladiolus lilted in his seat until he'd laid across the entire back of the car. If he hadn't collapsed, the sight of the world passing by at speeds twice over the legal limit was liable to accelerate his blurry vision.

And he wasn't sure, but it felt like his head was on someone's lap. The 'cushion' underneath him wasn't leather, like the Regalia's upholstery, and an arm clung to his chest to hold him secure. It must have been Prompto because it sounded like Noctis was arguing far away, with Ignis failing to keep him calm. Gladiolus still felt every pothole lining the pavement, a grunt escaping him at a particularly harsh dip that sent the car swerving.

"Knock it _off,_ you two," Gladiolus grouched. His throat felt like gravel from the regurgitation and the continued roiling in his stomach. Their loud voices weren't helping matters. Either they didn't hear him or the conversation was too heated, since neither of them heeded his demands.

"Please tell me we're close to somewhere," Prompto said, sounding far above him. Gladiolus was definitely resting in his lap, then. He was never going to live this down. "I think your shouting is going to make him barf again."

The yelling ceased. He was unable to catch all of it, but afterwards Ignis might have mentioned in a much softer voice that they were almost to a convenience store.

"The useless app doesn't say if it's twenty-four hours or not," Noctis said, the prince still sounding riled up.

Ignis reasoned, "If it comes to that, we'll figure it out when we get there."

The car stopped, its lurching forward almost causing Gladiolus to roll off the seat and onto the floor. Prompto scrambled to tighten his grip. A fist connected with the steering wheel, and Noctis said a very undignified, " _Dammit_ " that Ignis would normally have reprimanded him for, but refrained.

Not an all-night convenience store, then.

Gladiolus tried to tell them it was fine, he could make it awhile longer. He barely felt the effects of the poison he was so numb, but his body convulsed. Now it was Prompto's turn to start yelling. Their companions turned in their seats, Noctis' face more panicked than he'd ever seen it. Ignis rose in his seat and reached toward him as the arms holding onto Gladiolus failed to keep him steady.

Then he woke up.

The ceiling was white. It was part of an actual room and not the retractable roof of the Regalia. There was also sunlight; at the minimum, a couple hours must have passed if it was daytime, but it felt longer than that.

Inhaling a deep breath, Gladiolus braced himself to move and scope out his surroundings better, but the pain and nausea he expected to feel were gone. Just a dull ache in his belly and lingering exhaustion, like he'd recovered from a mild case of the flu rather than reapertail poisoning.

"Gladio!"

The surface he was lying on bounced, and he turned his head in the direction Prompto had called his name from. The man's face was closer than it'd been a moment ago, and he was perched on his hands and knees. There was a wooden bench seat at Prompto's back where he must have been sitting before, but he'd jumped up and joined Gladiolus on the pullout bed in the caravan.

"Hey. Where's _…_ Noct?" he asked. His throat wasn't raw anymore, but it was dry and the inside of his mouth tasted like ass. It made talking unpleasant.

"Oh. Um." Prompto backed off, biting his bottom lip. "You see _…_ about that _…_ "

" _What_ ," he said with every worst case scenario rushing through his head, and grabbed Prompto by the sleeve of his vest to drag him closer again, " _did he do_?"

"Ignis is with him!" Prompto explained instead, and it did relieve some of Gladiolus' immediate concerns. His fingers loosened a little on the fistful of fabric, but he didn't let go entirely. "You _…_ Okay, promise you won't be mad."

Gladiolus gave him scathing look. "You're kidding me, right? I'm _already_ mad. And I'm liable to get madder if you don't spit it out. Where are they?"

"We _…_ sort of broke into the mini-mart. We felt bad, though! So we left a pile of money on the counter, to pay for the antidotes and wall repairs, ya know? But it was all we had," Prompto said in a rush. "We couldn't find any of the campsites that were supposed to be close by, so we came here. Problem was—"

"We're broke. I get it. That doesn't explain how we _are_ here, or where chuckleheads one and two ran off to."

"Right! Right, I'm getting to that part." The man's gaze was skewed, focusing somewhere on Gladiolus' right ear. "The caravan owner, he was willing to spare us the place last minute, but since we couldn't pay we sort of bartered for it?"

"Prompto! Bartered with _what?_ " Gladiolus snapped.

"The guy lost something in the desert and wanted us to retrieve it, I guess? If we did that then we could have the caravan for a couple hours; just until we don't need to lay low anymore and you got better. Noct, he _…_ there was no talking him out of it. You know how he gets." He trailed off completely, giving Gladiolus a watery-eyed look.

Gladiolus _did_ know. When it came to the group's safety he could be stubborn, too. He slowly nodded and let go of Prompto's vest to flick him on the forehead. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but Prompto flinched and slapped his palm on his forehead, over the spot he'd been struck. He said, "Geez. You guys didn't have to go to all this trouble."

Prompto frowned, rubbing his forehead and still not looking at him. "We kind of did, though. You started throwing up blood and wouldn't stop shaking and Noctis was freaking out _so bad_. We all were.

"I mean, later Ignis was all 'a lesser man would've died by this stage'," he said in a poor imitation of the man's accent, "but I could tell even he was shaken up pretty badly. I didn't know Ignis _could_ be scared. He was trying to be all calm and collected to keep us from worrying, but none of us were sure if we got you the medicine in time."

Gladiolus was quiet while he processed the summary of events. He should probably be unnerved that he'd almost died or ashamed that he'd been so weak. But all he could think about were his friends, and what he'd almost put them through. Resting a palm on top of Prompto's head he sensed how tense he was.

"If you think I'm going to say sorry after all this, you're dead wrong. I'd have let you take the last antidote every single time." Prompto's eyes finally trailed up, glancing at him through the fringes of his bangs. Gladiolus rewarded him with a couple quick ruffles of his hair. "I guess I can't be too hard on all of you, then. I just want to see everyone safe, too."

"Man, I'd rather it not come to that again. At least we snagged enough antidotes to get us by."

Snorting, Gladiolus said, "Me, too. Upchucking my internal organs is not my idea of a good time."

"But you really are feeling better, right?" he asked.

 _Like brand new_ , he almost lied. Gladiolus was sore, but he'd dealt with worse. "I'll feel better when the prince and his nanny get back here. When did they run off, anyway?"

"Mm, once we got you settled, maybe half a day? Ignis insisted on waiting until daemons weren't gonna be a threat." Prompto straightened, expression brightening. "Oh, I just remembered! He had me make some kind of tea; said it was so easy even I could do it, which, _rude_ , but it's good for absorbing any lingering toxins, I think?"

He blathered on, hopping off the bed and heading into the kitchenette. While he prepared the drink Gladiolus noticed a cell phone sitting in his place. Curious, he grabbed and turned it on. It was Prompto's, but there was an app open with a shot of Gladiolus' sleeping face, pale but obviously during his recovery. A pastel flower crown was tacked onto his head. There was some kind of pinkish haze framing the edges of the picture. In a sophisticated, curly font the words 'feel better soon!' were written on a sash of ribbon at the bottom.

Prompto must have been playing around to distract himself while he was out of it. Shaking his head, he paused with his thumb over the picture. Saving it, he texted the picture to himself before setting the smart phone on a mantel for safe keeping. When the blond man came back with the tea, Gladiolus said, "You up for a game of Tetra Master while we wait?"

Offering him the drink, Prompto said, "I dunno, beating you might be too easy. You're not exactly at your best."

Gladiolus stopped halfway through taking a sip of the tea (which did nothing to alleviate the god-awful taste in his mouth). Any and all pretenses of going easy on Prompto vanished. He told him, "You just get out the deck and we'll see who's at their best."


	2. Gratitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. About that 'once a week' update schedule I was hoping for? Hasn't quite happened that way. >.>; Like most things I touch they don't want to end when they're supposed to; this chapter still came out rushed because I finally had to call it quits somewhere since my intention is for short and sweet. But the nice thing about fanfiction is it can always be tweaked later, so I might come back and edit this part someday. 
> 
> Thanks again to demishock for letting me bounce off ideas and hopeful headcanons, as well as fixing any major grammatical flubs. I've at least _started_ penning the last installment, but I can already tell it's gonna be a close one with _Final Fantasy XV_ set to drop in two weeks. Here's hoping!

All of them openly stared at Prompto. In particular, Ignis was unable to disguise his scandalized horror at their friend's change in attire. There was an abundance of plaid, more so than there was before, in garish colors like pink and yellow all layered one on top of another. Not to mention the different piles of clothes he carried. Prompto held out a spotted gray hoodie in their direction.

"What?" Prompto asked, shaking his fist and swishing the fabric around. "You told me to find something 'discrete and economical', and I did!"

Ignis hadn't uttered a word, but it was apparent a scathing comment was at the ready. This, he managed to keep to himself.

"Prom has a point," Gladiolus said. The man sounded more bemused than anything else. He reached for the white tracksuit thrown over Prompto's shoulders and inspected them at arm's length. The material was flimsy and crinkled noisily.

Sheepish, Prompto said, "Sorry, big guy. That was the largest size I could find on such short notice."

'Largest' didn't even come close. After switching his Crownsguard top for the windbreaker it stretched tight across his chest. Of the four of them, Gladiolus was the only one to even remotely tan once they'd left the secluded city of Insomnia. But the expanse of skin underneath didn't stand out much from the new jacket. The jogging pants were tight, too, his quads looking about ready to burst through. Gladiolus resembled an imposing wall, white and blinding.

Ignis kept staring at his offering, so Prompto pushed it off on him. He mumbled something that might be thanks or a damnation, before slipping the hoodie on over his head. It was awkward with how he tried to put it on over his existing clothes while touching the attire as little as possible. It was in reverse to Gladiolus' new clothes; the sleeves reached past his wrists and the bottom hem gravitated toward his knees.

"Here, Noct. We're about the same size and I was able to find these," Prompto explained and handed him a messy stack of clothes.

Noctis tried the jeans on first. They were snug, but he passed that off seeing as how his friend tended to wear leggings tighter than most. The bling on the pockets was a bit much, though. In contrast the shirt was baggy, but comfortably so, and the matching jean jacket had a collar high enough for Noctis to tuck his chin into if he wanted.

"Heh, like a glove," Prompto said in appraisal. Overtop Noctis' hair he slapped on a denim baseball cap with the word 'foxxy' bedazzled across the front, further obscuring his face. Noctis grunted in assent and at the treatment, both.

"I'm not used to jeans," he admitted, tucking his fingers into the belt loops. Noctis found he preferred the feel to the dress slacks he'd been expected to wear at home. The material felt more durable than those. Although, not as thick or heavy as his Crownsguard uniform, which consisted of finely crafted leather or Kevlar to be deceptively durable.

But blending in was becoming a serious issue after the Niflheim Empire invaded, increasing their territory, and doubling patrols wherever they resided. The palace-assigned uniforms were significant protection, but also beacons that they couldn't always rely on. For now, while their group recuperated in a town on the outskirts of old Lucian lines, they'd need to reprioritize and compromise.

"This will have to do," Ignis said, reaching a similar conclusion as he forewent arranging his own attire and instead fussed over Noctis'. He shrugged off his advisor's attempts.

"We should test 'em out! I'm starving – dinner time?" Prompto asked.

At the mention of food Noctis was reminded that they hadn't eaten since that morning. The group had been forced from their campsite by hordes of Imperial troops. After an hour they'd barely outmaneuvered them in the Regalia, under the cover of a forest, and there'd been nowhere to stop until almost nighttime. He nodded and said, "Might as well."

"There is a secluded restaurant a block from here that looked promising. Be sure to pick up our meal and bring it right back. No dawdling," Ignis suggested. Reluctantly, he flipped up his hood to hide his features, but the spikes up front peeked out. Still, he wasn't distinguishable at first glance.

"What about you?" Noctis asked.

"I want to give the area a brief sweep and finalize some potential exit strategies. Will you be staying?" He directed that last part at Gladiolus.

Nodding, he lifted his fingers off his bicep to give them a small wave. "Yeah. I'll keep watch on the room. Nobody play it stupid, though. Call me if anyone runs into trouble."

"Whatever," Noctis said. Before Gladiolus could reprimand him, Prompto nudged the prince toward the door.

"We'll be there and back before you know it!" he promised.

Outside their room, the hallway with its ratty carpet and tobacco-stained wallpaper were empty. They made their way outdoors undisturbed, the evening sun fading fast behind the surrounding buildings. There was a mix of people heading home to retire after work and those flooding the streets to eat, like them, or seek other entertainment.

While getting orientated on the sidewalk someone bumped into Noctis' shoulder. He flinched and turned to address them, but came up short. The woman was staring right into his face and for a stricken moment he worried the change in clothes had been pointless, that it wasn't enough. His fingertips itched with want for one of his weapons to throw and warp as fast and as far as he could.

Until she _snubbed_ him. The stranger took one appraising look at all of him and turned her nose up; the man she was with wasn't wearing much better an expression. His glare of disgust contorted his entire face.

"Hey!" Prompto demanded their attention after noticing his friend had fallen behind. He took a step back so he was standing beside Noctis. His bravado fizzled out as he received the same disdainful looks. Prompto didn't shirk away, though, just his voice tapering off in volume. "We're sorry. No damage done, right?"

Noctis wasn't sure why these people kept looking at them like they were diseased. The couple clearly didn't recognize _him_ as the 'deceased' heir to the Kingdom of Lucis. Then he followed their glares to his clothes. The sight of his bleached pants and jacket, holes in the knees and scuffed at the sleeves, gave him a clearer idea why that might be. In hindsight, it probably didn't help that none of them had a chance to shower after their run-in with Magitek Troopers, the streaks of dried mud and soot from a wayward fire spell still present.

Neither stranger replied. The man simply took his companion by the upper arms and led her away. Regardless of them hurrying off, Noctis couldn't stop from reaching to tug the bill of his hat low over his eyes.

"Forget them," Prompto urged, and swung his head in the direction of the restaurant. "Come on. Food, food, food!"

Noctis didn't comment, but he did trail after his friend. As Ignis had indicated earlier, there was a tiny storefront with a crooked sign that just read 'deli' on it. There were no windows and the door was painted a solid red.

He went in first, with Prompto hot on his heels. It was much nicer on the inside than the exterior would imply. It wasn't busy yet, but there weren't any booths to congregate at, anyway. Just a clean standing room and a counter for food. The menu was printed on the wall, with a glass case displaying examples of the available dishes at the teller counter.

"Order when you're ready, boys," the employee said without greeting them first. She did offer a smile when she looked up from her task of organizing brown paper bags, the gesture looking forced as she took in their dirtied appearance.

"Man, I'm _starving_. Wasting away, even," Prompto whined, oblivious to her discomfort. Or maybe just ignoring it. He planted his hands on his knees as he leaned forward to look at the plastic imitations. "All this looks so good! What do you think?"

Checking their shared funds, Noctis grimaced and checked the prices on the board. After their impromptu shopping spree and the overnighter in a motel their wallet was tighter than ever before. Decision made for them, he said, "Four specials. And a two liter bottle of root beer."

While the cashier rang them up Prompto snickered. "Yeah, Ignis is gonna like _that_."

"There was complimentary tea in the room," Noctis pointed out. Not that he could say he was excited about their drink prospects, either. He'd have preferred soda, but this late and caffeine would make sleeping without nightmares more difficult than usual. Besides, it was the only thing big enough for all of them to share.

Paying the teller, they chose a corner to wait for their orders to be made. Leaning against the wall, Noctis tucked his hands into his pockets. His pensiveness must have been evident because after some minutes of Prompto carrying the one-sided conversation he asked, "You're not still thinking about those jerks on the street, are you?"

Noctis hunched in on himself as he debated how best to answer. He _was_ contemplating the event, albeit indirectly. Growing up, he was accustomed to the way everyone treated him differently – putting him on a pedestal, piling on expectations, how they'd go out of their way for him. He'd never asked for the attention nor did he much want it, but Noctis wasn't sure he cared for being on the other side.

Prompto acted as if he didn't mind. Like he was _used_ to the treatment. Noctis cared for that fact even less than the rudeness being directed at him. He finally answered with a question of his own. "May I ask you something?"

"Certainly! Fire away," his friend said, mimicking shooting a gun with one hand in his direction.

"Have I ever made you feel inferior?" Noctis was blunter than he'd intended. Cringing, he burrowed into his clothes; he found it easier to do than in his darker uniform. It'd be difficult to go back to it after getting so lost in these.

Floundering, Prompto's mouth opened and closed while he formulated his response. "Noct…buddy, that's nothing to stress over."

That wasn't a no.

Noctis' head shot up. He wanted to demand _when_ and _over what_ and _why didn't you say anything?_ The prince even got so far as his lips parting, but then the shop employee exited the kitchen doors with their order. Prompto bounded over to accept the bag after their containers of food were placed inside; he set the paper sack in the crook of one arm so he could grab the bottle by the neck in his free hand. There wasn't enough time, or the ability, for Noctis to offer help in carrying anything.

"We better hurry. Gladio must be wondering if we're dead in a ditch somewhere. I wouldn't put it past him to hunt us down," Prompto urged, and made to leave. Noctis went after him.

They made it to the outside of their motel before he gathered the mental capacity to say, "It's not nothing."

"Hm?" His friend stopped short of trying to finagle his way inside without the use of his thumbs, turning in place to look at him. "Did you say something?"

Noctis didn't raise his voice, but it was much firmer when he elaborated with, "It's not _nothing_ , if I hurt you. The way those people looked at us… If I ever…" His jaw clenched and unclenched, words failing him. "Your status never mattered to me. You have to know that."

"…You're really worked up about this, huh?" Craning his neck, Prompto spotted what he was looking for in the form of a brick planter box lining the side of the building. Instead of heading inside, he hopped up on the cement edge, setting the drink and sack of food beside his hip. Patting the empty spot on his left he said, "C'mon."

Noctis reluctantly joined him, keeping his hands stuffed in his coat pockets and keeping a respectable distance. His friend picked up on the gesture and planted his elbows on his knees, leaning forward so he could catch a glimpse of Noctis' face. "This might be hard for you to believe, but I was really insecure as a kid." Noctis snorted, earning him a smile. Prompto sobered when he resumed the conversation. "But _you_ have to know that us meeting…ultimately changed me for the better."

"I'm still sorry if I offended you," Noctis said. Prompto bumped him in the knee with his own, but he nudged him right back to stem his protests. "And thanks."

"Heh, well. I'm still learning how to deal, but I've had a bit more practice. So take it from your pal Prom and think of this as a way of…keeping ourselves humble! Neither one of us should feel ashamed."

"Maybe we can both work on it."

"Yeah! We can start right now," he said. Leaning in close, his hair tickled Noctis' nose before he was blinded by a white light. When Prompto took the selfie with his phone he'd left the flash on.

He'd clenched his eyes closed, snapping, "Prompto!

All he heard were rapid-fire taps on a digital keyboard, then his cell phone dinging with an incoming message. Peeking open his right eye and then his left, Noctis squinted until there were no longer spots in his eyes. He pulled out the device and examined the photo text message on the screen.

Prompto had sent him a picture of them, obviously. At this angle he'd gotten under the brim of his hat, not even his bangs blocking the view of the camera. Noctis hadn't had time to switch from his grateful relief at the conversation, although his eyes were wide. To squeeze into the photo the blond man had tucked himself under his chin.

He and Prompto each had matching stubble along their jaws, not having the opportunity to shave the past couple days. At least it wasn't nearly as bad as Gladiolus' scruff. The colors of their clothes clashed, Prompto like a bizarre checkerboard against Noctis stepping right out of a teen magazine from two decades ago.

They both looked at ease, for once.

Attached to the bottom of the message were the words 'what NOCT outs!!!'. The skin around Noctis' mouth dimpled as he tried not to smile and failed.

A second message popped up in a separate window as he looked at the picture. This one was a joint chat sent to him and Prompto from Gladiolus, who demanded to know whether or not they'd gotten lost. Before he could reply a _third_ text appeared. Ignis' was properly capitalized, but far more concerned about their current whereabouts given the frequency with which Gladiolus was asking _him_ what could be taking them so long.

"Aaand moment over," Noctis droned, maybe a tad exasperated with the coddling.

Prompto laughed and patted him on the back. "Come on, let's get going before the cavalry arrives." He picked up the bag of food, but this time Noctis got to the bottle of root beer before Prompto did.


	3. Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand done, with two days to spare! I can hardly believe it, but this story is now completed, and all before the game is set to release. Thanks goes to demishock for sticking with me through the entire process and helping edit some things, and thank you to everyone who left comments, kudos, or felt this story deserved to be bookmarked. It's really meant a lot to me and helped get me through the wait for the game.

The light of early dawn was at their backs as the dashboard clock struck an even seven. The group had risen earlier than usual, the sky velvety shades of blue as they loaded up the Regalia with their camping gear. Even with the sun starting to show itself, Noctis and Prompto were curled up in the rear of the car, having fallen back asleep as soon as they got situated. Gladiolus accompanied him upfront.

The guardsman opened a thermos to drink some of the brewed coffee inside, sighing in relief at the caffeine or the warmth, before passing the container to Ignis. He graciously thanked him and took a couple sips before resting the bottom of the container on his thigh, opting to drive one handed as he nursed the coffee. When transferring it to the thermos Gladiolus had added cream to Ignis' liking rather than keeping it blackened as he preferred, indicating that he was to partake of it most, anyway.

"Not much further now." Gladiolus spoke in murmurs. His Highness wouldn't be disturbed by the sound of their shared voices, but the same could not be said for Prompto. He was mindful not to bother him again and it was still too early for normal volume. "We keep heading north at this speed and we'll reach civilization in fifteen minutes or so. Right on schedule."

"Agreed," he confirmed. Traffic was sparse at this distance from the city; they'd only passed one trailer truck so far and nothing else. If his calculations were correct they might even avoid rush hour traffic. "We can only stop to refuel, however, and perhaps restock our supplies."

"That news report yesterday have you worried?" Gladiolus asked, in reference to a radio announcement overheard while visiting Wiz Chocobo Ranch. The reprieve the attraction granted had only been temporary as a weary reporter recounted over a battered old radio the most recent exploits of the Niflheim Empire. Even when it didn't seem there was anything left for those brutes to take, they found something else untouched that must be set to ruin.

He drank more coffee and glanced in the rearview mirror instead of replying right away. The cabin was cast in cool hues, but whenever they passed under a street lamp he saw flashes of Noctis' face turned into Prompto's shoulder. He was hunched into a tight ball, body entirely on the seat, as if trying to keep himself protected.

In contrast, Prompto was spread every which way. Gladiolus required his seat pushed all the way back for him to fit, forcing Prompto more onto Noctis' side. That didn't stop him from planting one foot on the door rest, his arms akimbo, and head tilted completely back at a harsh angle.

Ignis forced his eyes forward.

"There are fewer and fewer places for us to hide. It won't be long before we have nowhere else to run," he delicately admitted, trusting Gladiolus to analyze the information and not dismiss what he couldn't bring himself to say.

"We'll all be ready by then," Gladiolus said.

Ignis couldn't bring himself to feel that degree of conviction, although he so desperately _wanted_ to believe such sentiments. He hadn't the chance, besides, because as soon as their vehicle crested a hill the sun shifted onto their left. It shone above the treetops and the city they were driving towards, looking softened along the lake lining one half of the town and turning the water a buttery yellow color.

Prompto grunted as sunlight hit his face, causing him to squirm. He raised his hand so he could crack open his eyes without being blinded. He asked, "Aw, man. Are we there yet?"

"Don't start," Gladiolus warned.

"…So are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we— Ow!" Prompto earned a punch to the knee, Gladiolus' reach enough to reprimand him. Their companion's yelp stirred Noctis into growling at them for the disturbance. The prince twisted in his seat, facing away from the sun and their antics.

"To answer your question, yes, we are," Ignis said. He took a final pull from the thermos, finishing the coffee, and set the container in the cup holder.

There was a series of parking stations by the off ramp, and Ignis pulled up and reversed into an open spot. Since Noctis was still indisposed, he got out to refuel the tank himself. Not that it mattered for long – Gladiolus turned around in his seat to prod Noctis in the back. "Hey, bed-head, up and at'em. We've got places to be."

His Highness mumbled something that resembled 'five more minutes', but it was anyone's guess. Gladiolus would have none of it. "We're on a bit of a time crunch, here. Come on, you can sleep later."

"Dude, you better listen. I think Gladio is on the rampage," Prompto said. He blew into Noctis' ear when he didn't respond, earning himself a swat to the cheek when the prince blindly retaliated.

"Do you want defense upgrades or not?" Gladiolus asked.

"What for?" Noctis asked.

"Actually, that's a splendid idea. This town may not seem like much for its size, but it's renowned for its blacksmithing industry. It exports some of the strongest shields in the world. We would be wise to investigate the local wares," Ignis intoned. The pump clicked off, but he reached over and held the handle attached to the nozzle until the price reached an even amount.

"I guess," he said. Noctis sat up and stretched, freeing Prompto to do the same. Gladiolus was already slipping out of the car.

"While you lot see to that I'll be heading to market. I hope to have us restocked in time for your return."

"Want some company?" Prompto asked.

Ignis couldn't hide his surprise at the offer. He'd expected Prompto to shadow Noctis and help Gladiolus in purchasing new equipment, not accompanying him for something as boring as grocery shopping. "If you're certain there is nothing you would like to see in the gear shops—"

"Nah, and it sure beats waiting in the car," he said. He exited the vehicle, not bothering to open the door and instead hopped over the side. Noctis was far more sedate (or perhaps lethargic) in getting out of the Regalia, opening the door and joining Gladiolus. Ignis shut the doors behind him and activated the alarm system on the car.

"Meet back here in, say, half an hour or so?" Gladiolus suggested. "That should be ample time to get what we need done."

Once everyone was on the same page, they paired off in separate directions – Noctis and Gladiolus toward the industrial district, with Prompto and Ignis following signs that promoted the communal marketplace. It turned out that all of main street, or what remained of it, catered to artisans and farmers. Buildings lining either side housed restaurants, art galleries, and tourist shops. Some were boarded up with paper notices or window paint as some owners had vacated at impending war, but there were a stubborn few still open.

Along the sidewalks were tents selling fresh produce and homemade goods. There was even a lone catering truck serving cup noodles toward the end of the road. Prompto jogged on ahead with his camera at the ready, flitting from stall-to-stall admiring all the food and handmade crafts.

Ignis maintained his own pace, comparing his written list of needed supplies with his mental one. Toiletries were at manageable levels, but he remembered that they'd used the last of the medical remedies. The group was also on their last loaf of bread, and as he kept adding missing items the price quickly exceeded their means to pay. He'd have to stave off purchasing certain things for now, but he was uncertain what they could afford to go without and chance not having access to later.

"Whoa, look at all this! I didn't know so much could be preserved. What's this one?" Prompto asked. He'd finally stopped in front of a vendor with various dried ingredients. His hands had let slip his camera, it hanging by its neck strap on his chest, as he pointed at something in particular.

Barely looking up from his notebook, Ignis took long enough to identify what he was staring at to explain, "I'm sure you already recognize the raisins as dehydrated grapes, but those are prunes, made from plums."

"Huh, don't some of these have more nutrients than others? Ah! And look at these, it's like potato chips, only better." He'd moved down the line toward slices of apples, bananas, and even pears that had been dried. Some were coated in cinnamon to make them sweeter.

Prompto reached into his pocket and pulled out some loose change. He divvied up the foreign currency from the Lucian variety they were accustomed to using. Making a happy noise in the back of his throat he announced, "Heck yeah, I have enough for the buy three get one free! Anything in particular you want, Master Chef?"

Tilting his head, Ignis crossed his arms and gave Prompto his undivided attention. "What do you mean? If you want to treat yourself then you're entitled to it, but I don't require anything."

The man looked somewhat abashed as he said, "I'm not as experienced at cooking like you, but whenever I wanted to eat, ya know, _healthier_ I developed one mean trail mix recipe. It's easy to put together and will last us. If we're going to be traveling more to avoid…um…"

Ignis' expression didn't falter, but his breathing slowed to almost a stop as it dawned on him that Prompto had overheard his conversation with Gladiolus in the car. Prompto must have picked up on it because he was quick to say, "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't meant to eavesdrop, honest. But all anyone talks about is Niflheim destroyed this or Niflheim took over that, and it's kind of hard for me to stop thinking about it, too."

 _He's scared_ , Ignis realized with some dejection. It's not that he actively wanted to hide his misgivings, but he had wanted to avoid this outcome in the first place. Prince Noctis was still burdened by his father's passing, along with the loss of his kingdom, and their friend was, until recently, just a civilian. They both had many reasons to be afraid. Ignis had been trying to lessen their fears by avoiding the subject of impending confrontations, but Prompto surprised him a second time that day.

"I know this isn't a huge deal, but I want to help, too. I know what looks and tastes good, but…"

Watching Prompto worry his lip like he was going to gnaw it off, Ignis came to a different conclusion. He walked up beside him and stared at all the available ingredients. "All right. What would you recommend, then?"

Prompto's glee at the prospect of being the teacher was channeled into his pointing out the salted peanuts as a basis for the trail mix. They exchanged ideas, Ignis making minor suggestions, but otherwise he let Prompto speak to the seller once they'd freed up from their other customers. His friend selected some raisins and sunflower seeds, along with a berry mix (for those 'delicious, _delicious_ vitamins', as he put it).

He waved off Prompto paying for the food, instructing him to save his coinage. With the deals he'd stumbled upon they had enough money for this investment. They were even capable of purchasing some additional candied orange slices to reward themselves with.

On the trip back to the car the pair was able to find potions at bulk prices, along with loaves of bread that were day-old clearance. That didn't cover everything, but Ignis felt it was a suitable start. He stored their medicinal stock in the trunk of the Regalia. The extra groceries went into the cooler for safekeeping. By the time he returned to the front of the vehicle Prompto was in the backseat, dividing up their dried goods into a week's worth of individual packages.

"Do me a favor?" he asked as Ignis got into the driver's seat. "In the center console I stashed some M&Ms so the guys wouldn't steal them when I wasn't looking, but I think they'll taste better in the trail mix."

True to his word, under the spare flashlight, first aid kit, and other miscellaneous junk was a resealed bag of chocolate. Ignis had to dig it out and during the process some slips of paper spilled all over his lap or down toward the pedals. He handed Prompto his requested bag of candy first, before reaching to retrieve what turned out to be Polaroid pictures.

The photographs varied in technique – most likely as Prompto experimented with his craft, which explained why he may have hidden them away with the sweets – and obviously spanned over the course of their journey so far. In the mix of pictures Ignis stumbled across an older one. In the background, Noctis and Gladiolus were sitting around the campfire, smiling and carefree.

Ignis was at the forefront; since it was taken at night, the glow of the fire cast his profile in soft oranges. His skin appeared touched by embers. He recognized the dish, when he'd put the finishing touches on a fish dinner from Noctis' first-ever catch, although he didn't remember this photo ever being taken. 

While he was admiring the picture, the last of their group returned from their own errands. The prince decided to keep to the backseat, leaving his guardian to choose the passenger side.

"How'd it go?" Prompto asked, looking up from his task. He had to hold his most recent creation away from Noctis' wandering hands as he immediately went for the food. Probably for the best, since he was awake enough to be able to pick out all his favorite pieces and leave the less appetizing portions in the bag if permitted.

"We did okay," Noctis said. His tone reflected his petulance at being denied the trail mix, however, the slight didn't stop him from showing off. He raised an arm, the one with the wrist brace, and in bright flecks of light a small shield was summoned overtop. The defenses didn't look like much until he tapped the inside of the strap to his chest, the layers of metal unfolding to almost three times its original size.

"Yooo!" was Prompto's excited response.

Fondly shaking his head, Ignis inserted the key and started the car to begin their leave. But not before tucking the picture in the gap between the windshield and its rubber seal, where he could see it at a glance and be reminded of calmer times.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my [writing blog on Tumblr](http://snaurus.tumblr.com/) for more content!


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